Public Access Television Call for Board Applicants

The City Council has endorsed the Cable Commission plan to form a nonprofit organization for purposes of introducing public access television to Portsmouth. The Council also agreed to make a cable channel available to the nonprofit when it is established. This will be the city’s second cable channel. The first, Comcast channel 22, is used for government programming by the city.

The new endeavor, to be called Portsmouth Public Media, Inc, will also make programming available over the internet. Thus, residents will be able to access programs either by television or internet.

Public access channels typically air programs produced by local citizens, artists, nonprofit organizations and businesses. Nonprofit organizations may tell of the work they are doing. Local artists can show their work and describe their process. Residents can interview other citizens and officials about a topic of interest to them. A local independent film producer might show his or her work.

The next step in development of Portsmouth Public Media is to establish a Board of Directors. Individuals with communications, arts, nonprofit boards, financial, and legal experience are encouraged to apply.

The founding board of Portsmouth Public Media, Inc. will consist of 7 to 11 members, two-thirds of which are to reside in the City of Portsmouth. This includes one appointment by the Mayor of the City of Portsmouth. Terms of office of the initial board will be staggered from 1 to 3 years. The board will need to determine the practical methods of implementing the mission and vision endorsed by the City Council and decide how quickly it can begin implementation. It is expected that there will be paid or volunteer staff support, but the founding board is expected to be a working group as well as a policy setting body.

Mission Vision
Portsmouth Public Media will endeavor to establish, operate, and promote non-commercial public access television and Internet media. To that end, the Corporation has set forth statements of its mission and vision.

Mission Statement: To make the sharing of local news, views, information, arts and entertainment readily accessible to residents, and nonprofit and business organizations of Portsmouth.

Vision Statement: To be regarded as a vibrant, appreciated source of local news, views, information, arts and entertainment that –

Airs programs reflecting the interests of a broad range of individual residents, local business and nonprofit organizations;
Involves all members of the community – diverse ages, socio-economic status and technological abilities;
Employs multiple methods of producing and delivering content in order to simplify the ability of producers to create, and viewers to access, content;
Embraces available and emerging technology for efficiency of operations.